


A Tale As Old As Time

by musiciansfriend



Series: Ziall One Shots (Family, Mpreg, et cetera, et cetera) [4]
Category: Disney - Fandom, One Direction
Genre: M/M, slight mention of mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2014-06-10
Packaged: 2018-02-04 03:15:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1763889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musiciansfriend/pseuds/musiciansfriend





	A Tale As Old As Time

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Beauty and the Beast](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/54443) by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve. 



Once Upon A Time, there lived an old merchant and his two sons. Now the Family was very wealthy, and this was proven by the fact that they lived in a large house, with room enough for twelve people. Why the home was so big but only contained a family of three, and a maid and a butler for each, confused many of the townsfolk. The villagers knew better than to ask, however, because they also knew what the consequences would be for their actions.

 

One unfortunate day however, befell them, and the entirety of the property caught fire. Not only that, but the two boys' father lost every ship he had, whether it was by pirates, more fires, or shipwreck. The third time something this bad hapened, it was about his clerks in distant countries who he thought to be faithful, only to be mislead.

 

Because of the man's lack of money, he and his sons had to make their new home in the small town of Bradford, England, where he and his two sons built themselves a house, which looked exactly like the ones that surrounded his old home in Ireland. The father and his children worked hard, everyday, chopping wood, cultivating the fields, and making and mapping out the different parts of the house, when at last it was finished.

 

It was only Niall, the youngest son, who remained cheerful during those dismal days, trying to make his older brother and beloved father happy by dancing and singing, but soon enough, he too bowed down to the dark, looming, despondent figure that was Miserableness.

 

One happy day in early April, however, the father received great news. One of his ships who had deemed lost, had turned up in a port with handsome sums of money and riches. Although it was time to harvest the crops in Bradford, he was determined to make the trip by himself. He asked each of his children what he should present to them when he returned, and the eldest, by the name of Gregory, announced that he would like a new pair of shoes.

 

Niall only wished for a rose, exclaiming how he loved them so, and at this, his father and brother laughed at him and teased him for wanting such a thing.

 

But, alas, the boy would not budge, and the father agreed, setting off on his journey the next morning.

 

 

~`~`~`

 

 

When he arrived, he had dismounted his horse only to see that his once loyal companions had already divided up his posessions between them. After almost half a year of traveling, he found himself to be as poor as he was when he started off, and with a heart full of sadness, he began his trip home.

 

By the time he was only within a few miles of his cosy house, he became exhausted with tiredness, coldness, and hungriness. He knew that the only way to reach his destination was to cut through a thickly wooded forest full of mysterious creatures. With his heart pounding and hands trembling, he urged his noble steed forwards and pulled his cloak hood lower over his head.

 

 

~`~`~`

 

 

When he had been completely swallowed in the darkness with only the moon for a light-source, he began to worry that he might never make it back, when all of a sudden, a lightning bolt illuminated the black sky, showing him a humonguos castle in the distance. With thus newfound hope, he and his horse ran through the rest of the woods, only to be blinded by the constant rain.

 

Upon reaching the great oaken doors, he started to wonder who or what lived inside, because he had never heard of anything living in a castle this large. With all his courage, he reached up the enormous iron knockers and let them bang against the wood a total number of three times before stepping back.

 

When no one answered for a great deal of minutes, the man figured that whatever lived inside there was already asleep and that it was no use knocking, and so he let himself inside.

 

 

~`~`~`

 

 

The heat of the air inside put life back into him, and he yet a gain felt hunger pains in his stomach. Setting out to find the kitchen to eat, he found nothing but rooms full of unused beds and galleries filled with dusty paintings and portraits of strange people. Deciding that the food could wait until the morning, he found a bed chamber which most suited him, said his prayers, and promptly fell asleep.

 

 

~`~`~`

 

 

The next day turned out to be of no difference and the father decided that all the treasures he had discovered belonged to him, and he began to think of how he should dplit the things between his children and him. Looking out his bedroom window, he saw that it was quite beautiful outside and he thought that it was perfect weather to go outside and a peaceful walk in the flower garden.

 

When he was finally outside, he began to sing quietly to himself until he remembered his dear young son's only wish. A single rose. He had already purchased the other boy's gift, a pair of leather shoes, but the only reason he would buy it was because they were his beloved dead wife's favourite flower, and he longed for her love and compassion daily.

 

Seeing a rosebush upon his arrival into the garden earlier that morning, he tought that it would be quite easy to fetch one for Niall. He then simply plucked one off and placed it in his belt, but to his surprise, a booming voice exclaimed, "HOW DARE YOU TAKE FROM WHAT IS NOT YOURS! I WAS KIND TO YOU AND LET YOU SLEEP IN MY BED! I SHELTERED YOU FROM A TERRIBLE STORM IN WICH YOU SURELY WOULD'VE DIED IN AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME? BY STEALING?"

 

The man, who was understandably afraid of the ferocious Beast, dropped the rose and fell to his knees, crying, " Pardon me, noble sir. Although I am eternally grateful for your generous hospitality, I did not think that taking such a small thing would bother you."

 

The Beast's anger only intensified, but he knew better than to kill this man for no reason. "Is there any reason why you should take from me?", he said, seething.

 

"Please, kind sir, I have traveled very far to retrieve gifts for my children, for I am a merchant, and I love them so. My youngest son only asked for a rose, and as I was walking in your beautiful garden this morrning, I stumbled upon your magnificent rosebush." Although he was still quaking in fear, he managed to lift his head up and have a look and the monster. "I beg you for forgiveness, because I meant no harm."

 

The Beast thought on this for a moment, and finally replied, "I will forgive you on one condition. That you give this boy who wanted my rose to me, and that you let me have my way with him. If he comes, though, it must not be forced. I see you as an honest man, and I trust you to go home. I will also give you exactly one month to do this. If he comes, I shall set you free."

 

 

~`~`~`

 

 

The next afternoon, the man mounted his horse with the rose in his belt, and set off for home, in hopes that he wouod be returning to the Beast with Niall.

 

 

~`~`~`

 

 

Stepping offf of the the giant animal with some difficulty, he opened the front to door only to find his youngest sat at the fireplace cooking a midday meal in the great black cauldron over the fire. In an instant the boy turned around and ran into his father's arms, eyeing the precious rose on his parent's leather belt.

 

"Hello, my sweet boy! Oh, how I missed you so! Here is what I promised you, although you do not know the cost of it!", he said, handing off the flower to his son.

 

"However did you find it, father?" It was then in which the man proceeded to tell the young man how he had won the prize, but how terrible the consequnces were.

 

By the end of the story, the smile on the sweet boy's face had fallen, and thoughts of living with the mentioned Beast clouded his mind.

 

"I am ever so sorry, my dear boy, but it was the only way that the Beast would let me come back to you."

 

"As it was I who caused you all this trouble, it is only fair that I go and live with the thing." The sixteen year old boy said, with a solemn look on his face.

 

 

~`~`~`

 

 

And so, near the end of the month, the man and his son began to pack their bags to return to the marvelous castle. The father tried rather heroically, like his eldest, to persaude his youngest child to turn back, but Niall remained firm, and so they journeyed forwards to the Beast.

 

In order to try and make the air seem a litlle lighter, they made jokes and told stories along the way, but to their dismay, they reached their destination far sooner than they had hoped. After they dismounted, the father took his beloved up to the room in which he had stayed in before, and was pleasantly surprised to find a blazing fire and a hot meal for the both of them to share.

 

As soon as they were finished eating, however, the heard the loud footsteps of the Beast coming down the corridor, and the great bang of the bedroom door opening.

 

The Beast was delightfully surprisd to see the old man and his boy sitting at the table, but was even more shocked at the sheer handsomeness of the boy. "Good evening, old man. Good evening, Beauty."He greeted.

 

"Good evening, Beast." Niall replied kindly, answering for both his father and him.

 

"Have you come willimgly?" the Beast asked.

 

"I have."

 

"Then the old man is free to go." Niall was greatly shocked at this, because his father had completely forgotten to tell him about this part of the plan.

 

Niall's father knew he had no choice and hugged his beloved child tightly and kissed his forehead, whispering a "Be safe, I Love You." into Niall's ear as the boy clungonto his father's sleeve for dear life.

 

 

~`~`~`

 

 

Every night after for a long time after his father left, the Beast and his Beauty only slept side by side. Then, after a while, every night after Niall had fallen asleep, the Beast would kiss his right cheek, and then proceed to fall asleep himself.

 

Almost a year after the Beast had begun his routine, Niall began to notuce that he couldn't fall asleep until he recieved the Beast's good night kiss, and he slowly began to fall in love with the Beast. The more Niall's love and compassion grew for the Beast, the more the Beast began to return to his human form.

 

 

~`~`~`

 

 

Eventually they married, under the condition that Niall got to visit his father for one month every year, but during that time, the Beast was miserable, for he could not stand to be away from his Beauty no longer than a few hours at a time.

 

As time traveled on, Niall bore many sons and daughters and spent the rest of his life with the Beast, and they they lived Happily Ever After.

 

 

-09.06.14


End file.
